5 ☄ text

[fifthreturned]

All right, folks. We saw what the Null you guys are hiding said - and hey, maybe not the best idea, you know? They're kind of trying to murder us all. But as it turns out, at least some of what it said is accurate. But that doesn't mean it all is, and believe me, the Null are more than smart enough to use half-truths to mess with you - to mess with all of us.

So we're pretty divided on this, to say the least. A lot of us think it's stupid to listen to anything a Null said, since again, they're kind of trying to murder us all. But some of us are willing to try it, since you'd be on the line instead of us (not super nice, but hey) and then Hope pointed out that some of you are already trying to find ways to cross the waters and go searching.

Also probably not a great idea to do that on your own, but y'know, he's the one who'll have to resurrect you, not me.

Long story short, since our opinions are pretty divided, we figured we'd let you weigh in, and as I'm the most neutral, I get to listen.

Convince me that we should go search using the information the Null gave us, and we'll provide crafts for you to use. Or convince me it's a terrible idea, and we won't.

Man, I'm already tired just thinking about it. Not too long-winded, okay? Go.

Comments

text

[completelycrazy]

Look dude we'd be stupid not to use this Null as a tool to our advantage. Plain and simple.
Where I come from I get a lot of flak for studying the stuff thats trying to kill us but without the research I've done all of humanity would've been wiped out like years ago. I figure it's the same as with this Null.
Trust doesn't really matter? Like I said it's a tool. You really want to take the info it's given us and go nahhh too risky let's ignore it? We have a lot to gain here even if the info turns out to be bunk or whatever.

text

[fifthreturned]

We have a lot to lose, too. We don't know what's at any of those coordinates, so going there could put us all in danger.

[circumitus]

sorrow said that the fragments themselves wont be much use on their own, but could prove helpful in better controlling the door. that alone is reason enough to retrieve them.

regardless of what that synthetic says i trust sorrow's word over it than that thing. we'll be the ones doing the heavy lifting anyway.

[fifthreturned]

Sure, but we don't actually know what's at the coordinates the Null gave us. Might not be fragments at all. Might be something a lot worse.

[text]

[lifetothefullest]

[He has so many questions about this entire thing and a lot of them probably aren't best to directly ask the gods about, but he does want to know--]

Was this information about the Door new to you?

[text]

[fifthreturned]

No, Sorrow's not really big on like, sharing information and stuff. But it's no skin off my back.

Text

[utulien_aure]

Does anything in particular about what Name said ring false to you? Aside from the general principle that the Null would mislead us?

Text

[fifthreturned]

Oh man, where to even start? I mean, it accessed the network despite the fact that none of you wanted it to, which is a pretty clear sign that it doesn't actually much care what you want. It wants us to search all over the world - which is not super safe already - for things that might not even be there. Or maybe things are there, but what things?

It's playing real hard on what it knows you want in order to get you to do something. Maybe it really does just want to help, but the entire rest of its species wants to kill us. It comes down to whether you want to take that gamble.

text

[abyssalarcana]

doesnt matter. some of us will go whether you help or not

its not up to you and your friends anymore

text

[fifthreturned]

Sure. This is about whether we help you or not.

text

[ghostlocked]

we provide for u guys plenty w. all those events. its in ur best interest to keep us on ur side.
both bc were ur food source and bc we stand a better chance against the null if were all on the same page.
if its really all of us vs. the null then ull throw us a bone instead of dividing the team.
but realistically? ppl are gonna go hunting for the fragments w. or w.o ur help.
what do u really gain trying to stop that from happening?

text

[fifthreturned]

I don't really care about stopping it from happening. Hope would like to, because he doesn't want you guys to die, but that's not the point here. This is about whether we help you or not.

voice, because he's a stubborn bastard who hates text

[bythewaves]

I think even if you don't aid us, folk will go. The draw of a chance, no matter how slim, will draw us out. So the better question is - 'will you try and stop us', instead.

voice

[fifthreturned]

You guys are maybe not that great at reading, because you're the third person who's said the same thing. Straight up, it's not about stopping you, it's about whether we help you or not.

[hot_mes]

do you want an end to the conflict with the Null or not?

because as I see it, sitting on our hands, doing nothing, and allowing you to dictate the parameters of every facet of our existence here only delays the inevitable, as Sorrow suggested. we fuck around doing nothing until the Null catch up and then we all die, you included.

or, if we take advantage of every opportunity afforded, we gain information needed to develop a solution. possibly even to defeat the Null. can you really just sit there and say you aren't interested in that potential?

[fifthreturned]

What are you thinking this will accomplish, in terms of getting them to stop trying to kill us all?

text;

[dedikated]

Easier with your equipment than without it.
Either way, too important to just sit on our asses doing nothing.

( Yeah, she is trying to organise this. Try and fucking stop her. )

text;

[fifthreturned]

It sure would be!

text

[abbatis]

why do they want to kill you?

text

[fifthreturned]

We make them feel emotions and I guess they really don't like that.

[Voice]

[swiftlet]

It has information. We don't have to trust it entirely, but it's more than we had before. There's certainly a chance that it's a trap, but there's a chance it's useful information, too, and there's no way to find out without looking.

[Voice]

[fifthreturned]

What are you gonna do if it is a trap?

[puzzlingly]

what part of what it said isnt accurate?

[fifthreturned]

So far exactly one part of what it said is accurate. Kind of a big leap to assume that the rest is.

video;

[demonsional]

I have a very good reasons why we have to be nice to Name! Please, it's time to be nice!

[Sorry he still can't text.]

video;

[fifthreturned]

I'm sure your reasons are great, but this isn't about that.

[northerndragon]

If you feed off our feelings, I'd think it would be better to lose as few of us as you can. You can always bring more in, but if you had enough of us at once, you wouldn't need to be bringing people in, and you might not need to do the the things you've been doing to us. Not as much, anyhow.

If they're going to go no matter what you say, it's in your best interest to help the ones who want to seek. I'm not a sailor, or I'd go, but when it comes to that, I might only be getting in the way.

The door brings people in. Is that all it's for? Does it keep anything out?

[You can take the man away from the Wall, but you can't take away the Wall in his heart. Or something like that.]

[fifthreturned]

That'd be why Hope keeps bringing you back, yeah. That and his soft heart.

Not sure it is in our best interests to help, though. That's what I'm trying to figure out.

And if you have Door questions, better ask Sorrow. I don't know much, and that's fine with me.

text;

[odinbolt]

... Is what Name said about their changes true? Are they really gaining emotions being here?

( Bear with her, there's a point. )

text;

[fifthreturned]

That's what happened before. That's why they decided to kill us.

[dreamsallotted]

Perhaps if you would share what part of it is untrue, we might be in a better position to make a decision that would benefit everyone. You can't expect people to make wise decisions if you hold all the cards, and then someone dangles a treat, no matter how fishy it may be.

[fifthreturned]

Not really sure what you're talking about. We don't know if it's true or not, which is the issue.

[so_dark_a_road]

I, too, would be interested to know what the Null said that you think is untrue, or a half-truth?

If you used the Door fragments to fix the Door here in Hadriel, in what way exactly will it be improved? What will you be able to do with it that you cannot do now?

We're ultimately looking for solutions to problems. If all we do is flee from the Null and fight them whenever they catch up with us, the problems will never be solved. We'll probably all die in the end, unless we take a new tack. This is a chance to gain some new knowledge that might help us work out some real solutions. We know we're taking a chance, but true seekers take chances. Innovation requires risk.

[fifthreturned]

Door questions go to Sorrow! I got nothing there. I guess he thinks they might help.

As for what might be untrue, we don't have any reason to believe that the coordinates given lead to the fragments, or that they lead to anything at all, or that they don't lead to a trap of some kind.

text

[roseofthetyrells]

I think it foolish to trust the word of a Null.
Especially as it claims that the Door is a ninth god.
We already have Sorrow, who claims to know the most about the Door.
What is his opinion of the subject?

text

[fifthreturned]

He thinks the fragments would be useful, but we're all in agreement that the Null can't be trusted blindly.

text

[toiletseat_girl]

I don't think Name's bullshitting us.
I'm a pretty good detector of bullshit and what Name says?
It sounds true.
Even if it's not 100% accurate, can we really run the risk of not looking into what it says?

text

[fifthreturned]

Sure we can. Not finding the fragments isn't gonna kill any of us.

Text

[soldier_blade]

I've read the post by Name. Normally I'd be against allying with the enemy, but in this case, I'm on the side of caution of what it has to say. Yes, it could just be trying to save its skin, but it also seems to know the price for betraying its kind, and from what I've understand, the Null very much hold a 'no middle ground' when it comes to these things.

Margery, don't hate me for this.]

Like it's been said already, the Null have been on our case for this long. Better to try something, even if it's feeble and may come to nothing, then to do nothing and just wait around for them to find us again.

Text

[fifthreturned]

So what's your backup plan if this is designed to lead them straight to us?

[nuclearpriestess]

What exactly is a Null? Why do they want to kill you?

[fifthreturned]

Maybe this will help.

text;

[aroundthecoroner]

Okay so, uh, worst cast scenario:
We go to the coordinates and it's a big trap.
The people who went on the expedition can notify us back here.
And Fear can move the city or whatever.
I mean, anyone that goes out there has to know already that they're taking their life in their hands.
It seems pretty likely there's nothing we could do for them anyway if there's, I don't know, a Null army waiting?
I know this sounds really harsh, and uh, sorry to any expedition-goers reading this, but I'm just trying to think in the extreme.
So the outcome here is: we lose some people, but we survive, and we know we can't trust the rogue Null, so whoever's protecting it would probably give it up. Threat resolved.
But best case scenario? We find something really, really useful, we keep everyone, and we know we have a new ally who isn't planning to betray us.
If you're just looking at this as a risk/reward kind of thing, the potential pros outweigh the potential cons, don't you think?

[Please be nice he spent like an hour on this. :(]

[hot_mes]

[Michael you are brilliant Law owes you a drink or something]

it's true. I've already placed my life on the line for this.

text;

[madambutterfly]

I'm still new here, but having been briefed on the politics I have to wonder why you wouldn't be adamant about recovering one of your supposed brethren?

text;

[fifthreturned]

We don't need to recover it. It's right here, it's been in the Door the whole time. Apparently.

text;

[hasitsthorns]

I said it to Sorrow and I'll say it again.
Despite the risk, we can't ignore how beneficial the information this Null might provide us with is.
Sometimes you have to take those risks. I know it's a lot to lose and I don't want to see anything happen to you guys - again, for that matter - any more than you do.
I care about you all but I also care about trying to find a way to stop this for good.

text;

[fifthreturned]

This is a pretty big risk to take. Not just for us - for all of you, too. And I don't know if the fragments will do anything to stop any of this. You know, if they're there.

text;

[redwinekindofgirl]

So, hey.
Unrelated, but how many dumbass questions that aren't exactly to do with what you're asking are you gonna field before you lose your temper?
Assuming you can lose your temper. I've been in your temple. So chill.
Just saying it looks like a fuckton of people aren't actually paying attention to what you're asking us at all.

I don't trust the Null, and I don't trust this one people are hiding no matter how much they try to cutesy it up by giving it a name. I think we should have tossed it out into the desert when we could, and I don't believe it when it says it can't lie.

On the point, though. What are the pros and cons for you guys if you do help us? I mean, you're the ones taking the risk on that, right? We don't get something for nothing.

text;

[fifthreturned]

Hah! I don't really lose my temper that often. I just kinda get tired instead.

The pros for us helping you... well, if the fragments are really there, we'll get them back faster than we would otherwise. If we don't listen to the Null, we'll have to take time to do our own investigation before anyone could even start looking for them. Using this info is potentially much fast.

Of course, the con is that it could all be false, and dangerous to boot.